


Morally Ambiguous

by mobianflame



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, M/M, Multi, Ouma is an angel, Rantarou is a demon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-04-04 17:59:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 17,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14025618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mobianflame/pseuds/mobianflame
Summary: One mischievous angel who protects the innocent. One mellow demon who feeds off of evil. One unlucky detective who just wants to live a normal life with his annoying yet lovable roommates.





	1. Angels

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfic that I’m potting online, and the first fanfic I haven’t scrapped after three days. Please bare with me if anything like the tags or formatting is weird, and if anyone has any advice for me I really appreciate it! Also, the chapters start off really short but once I get more used to writing I promise they’ll be longer.
> 
> -
> 
> Living close to the ground  
> Is seventh heaven 'cause there are angels all around  
> Among my frivolous thoughts  
> I believe there are beautiful things seen by the astronauts
> 
> Owl City

Shuichi came to the conclusion that Kokichi Ouma was the devil's incarnate.

After a week straight of pranks, anyone would come to the same conclusion. All who associated with Kokichi Ouma would agree that he was the evilest, most mischievous person they had ever met. And they’d be absolutely correct. No one was nearly as bad as Kokichi Ouma.

“Saihara-chan, I’m booooored.”

Shuuichi recalled his first day at Hope's Peak University. The campus was huge and he had a hard enough time just finding any dorm building, let alone his own. He was even sure he had passed the same acorn tree ten times. When he finally did arrive though, he had barely enough time to set his belongings down before he had a small purple blur barreling towards him. Knocked down to the floor and having the breath knocked out of him, he could barely see straight when he looked up.

“You’re Saihara-chan, my roommate! Let’s go get lunch!” The tiny stranger had just made the strangest introduction Shuuichi would ever remember. Before he could ask any questions, he was being hoisted up and dragged away from the dorm room he had worked so hard to find.

Shuuichi would soon learn that this would become his new routine.

“Saihara-chan, let’s play a game.” Ouma stood in front of Shuuichi, blocking his view of the stove, and the omelettes he was preparing, as he swayed on his heels trying to look as innocent as possible. Shuuichi only gave him a hard look, he had already learned the signs that Ouma was plotting something.

“Tag! You’re it!” Even if he knew the signs, Shuuichi still managed to be reeled into every one of the tricksters plots.

Ouma had a head start on him, disappearing quickly from Shuuichi's view. He ran around the entire room, trying to find any foot prints that would give him away. When that yielded no results, he ran around the entire building. It wasn’t until Shuuichi came back exhausted from running around half of the campus that he saw Ouma laying upside down on the couch watching a cartoon.

“Wow, Saihara-chan is really bad at hide and seek.”

Kokichi Ouma was definitely a demon sent straight from hell to make Shuuichi's life a living one.


	2. Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you feel my heat  
> Look into my eyes  
> It’s where my demons hide  
> It’s where my demons hide  
> Don’t get too close  
> It’s dark inside  
> It’s where my demons hide  
> It’s where my demons hide
> 
> Imagine Dragons

Shuuichi came to the conclusion that Rantarou Amami was a saint.

Always helping others with anything they needed, giving advice when anyone needed it, _helping to keep Ouma in line_ , Rantarou Amami was undeniably the kind of person that everyone just knew would end up in heaven. Shuuichi had never met a nicer person, even if he was a bit mysterious. No one in their right minds could deny that Rantarou Amami was the purest person alive.

“Need any help with that, Saihara-kun?”

Shuuichi remembered the first week of classes. He remembers being exhausted and ready to collapse, being so oblivious to his surroundings that he walked right into the green haired man standing in front of his dorm room. Shuuichi went down, or at least he thought he did at first. As it turned out, he was actually being held up by a pair of arms that made him feel safe. He was ready to collapse again, but for an entirely different reason now.

“Sorry, Saihara-kun, right? Are you okay?” The green tree of a man apologized as he let go of Shuuichi. He almost missed the warmth he seemed to radiate. The man then went so far to make it up to Shuuichi that he ended up helping him to bed and making sure he was comfortable before leaving him to sleep.

Shuuichi quickly came to appreciate such kindness.

“Let me get the other ingredients for you.” Amami turned away from Shuuichi, getting the other condiments he needed for his omelettes. Shuuichi was able to finish cooking in record time since he didn’t have to spend extra time trying to reach ingredients on high shelves with the risk of burning his omelettes.

“They smell really good Saihara-kun, thanks.” Shuuichi could get high off of praise from the suave man in front of him.

Amami walked with him to the couch, setting down his plate as well as an extra plate for Ouma whenever he returned from where ever he was. Shuuichi sat down next to him and turned on the T.V. to the news. Shuuichi was tempted to simply lay down on Amami's lap and bask in his essence when Amami made the decision for him and pulled him against himself.

“If you’re tired, feel free to use me as a pillow. I don’t mind.”

Rantarou Amami was definitely an angel sent straight from heaven to watch over Shuuichi.


	3. All the Small Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Say it ain’t so,  
> I will not go,  
> Turn the lights off  
> Carry me home
> 
> Blink-182

Shuuichi is way too tired for Kokichi Ouma's bullshit today.

Shuuichi had finally finished up the last of his midterms and was looking forward to a good night's rest. Unfortunately for Shuuichi, a certain purple haired gremlin interrupted his well deserved sleep.

“Wakey wakey Sleephara-chan!” It was 3 o'clock in the morning and, more importantly, _way too early for this shit._

He was being dragged out to the nearest McKuma's to dine on low quality omelettes and overly sweet sodas, listening to Ouma outline his latest scheme to prank Amami. All the sugar in the world wasn’t enough to keep him sitting upright, and he eventually found himself drifting off into his own sleepy world.

Shuuichi dreamed he was being carried off in a blur of purple and white feathers.

_Is this heaven?_

Shuuichi woke up in his bed, much later then the last time he woke, he noted. All the lights were turned off when he got up out of bed, ready to go ask Ouma what happened. What stopped him was a purple and white feather that rested inconspicuously on his bedroom floor.

It didn’t make any sense.

Shuuichi put the strange feather under his pillow and fell back asleep.

Ouma smiled to himself in his sleep. He'd done a good deed today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’m gonna try and go for updates every Monday and Thursday, but that’s subject to change with SAT's being postponed until April here in New York and a bunch of extracurricular stuff I’m involved with. Thanks for reading this far, I’ll be updating again on Monday!


	4. The Pantaloon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are tired, you are hurt.  
> A moth ate through your favorite shirt  
> And all your friends fertilize the ground you walk  
> Lose your mind.
> 
> Twenty One Pilots

Shuuichi realized that Rantarou Amami was too nice for his own good.

The two men sat in the community garden. While Shuuichi tended to his own plot, Amami was busy watering and fertilizing every other plant in the garden. When Shuuichi had mentioned he wanted to try growing his own ingredients so his omelettes could be better, Amami immediately brought him here.

Shuuichi almost got dizzy from watching Amami run around. He just wished Amami' would focus on his own plants.

When Shuuichi had told Amami that he should let people tend to their own plants, the garden seemed to get the slightest bit warmer, and did Amami just smirk?

_Is this hell?_

Even with the slight yet sudden temperature shift, Shuuichi felt himself shudder, as if his bones had suddenly frozen over. “You kind of sound like Ouma right now. Selflessness is a virtue you know.” Shuuichi must’ve imagined everything, because as suddenly as the tense atmosphere appeared, it was gone in a flash.

It didn’t make any sense.

Shuuichi left the garden trying to convince himself it wasn’t real.

Amami smirked to himself in thought. He'd satisfied his hunger today.


	5. What If I Go?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where ever you go I'm going with you babe, going with you babe.  
> I will and I must no I definitely wouldn’t miss a thing.  
> If your lost on your own and you’re wondering if I’m following  
> Just know where ever you go I’m going with you babe, going with you babe.
> 
> Mura Masa

Shuuichi tried to hide his feelings from himself.

“Amami-chan, no fair! Saihara-chan was supposed to hang out with me today.”

“Ah, but Saihara-kun needs help with his project and we planned to do that today.”

“Saihara-chan is a big boy, quit babying him and doing everything for him.”

“Huh? I didn’t think I was babying him.”

“Yeah well you are, and he tooootally hates you for it.”

“That’s a lie, isn’t it Saihara-kun?”

“Like a dirty demon would know a truth from a lie!”

“Ah, but I think being a dirty demon is probably better than being an air headed angel.”

“YOU'RE SO MEA-“

“Why don’t we all do something together?”

Both Amami and Ouma gave him incredulous looks as if he had suddenly turned completely grey. In Shuuichi's head it didn’t seem like a bad idea, but with the blank stares he was receiving he suddenly felt like an arrow was pierced through his heart and he wanted nothing more than to jump out the window and run.

Ouma, surprisingly, was the first to break the tension that quickly began to hang like smoke over them.

“Only my beloved Saihara-chan could come up with such a great idea!”

Amami, even more surprisingly, reluctantly agreed next.

“I suppose that’s the best compromise to this situation, so I guess I might as well agree.”

Shuuichi was shocked by the extremely out of character reactions, but he was still glad that his crushes stopped fighting. He was so glad in fact, that he hadn’t even realized he was beaming at them with joy. That’s how all three of them ended up at the library around a mountain of papers and McKuma's omelettes.

The last thing Shuuichi remembers hearing before he fell asleep that night was, “Hey, from now on, wherever you go, bring me with you.” Shuuichi wasn’t sure who said it, but he was sure that it was a promise he’d keep with both men he had ended up falling in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m not gonna post two chapters every Monday, but whenever I notice how short the chapters are, I’ll make sure to post a second chapter. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy :3


	6. Borderline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm borderline happy and I’m borderline sad  
> I’m borderline good and I’m borderline bad  
> And I can’t get rid of this tingling fear,  
> You’d sort me out if my head gets clear.
> 
> Tove Styrke

Shuuichi realized how stressful feelings can be.

He started working out with Momota and Harukawa. An unlikely duo by all means, but still a duo none the less. Shuuichi felt bad about going out in secret in the middle of the night, especially after making his promise to his roommates. He reasoned with himself that it was probably just a dream.

“Hey bro, don’t you think it’s kinda weird that Amami-kun and Ouma-kun try to follow you around everywhere you go?”

It wasn’t the first time Shuuichi heard the question. He asked himself the same question every night since he made his promise. He probably should think it’s weird, but for some reason unknown to him, he didn’t really mind it.

“When it comes to idiots like you two, you need as many people watching over you as possible.”

Harukawa was harsh, but her words rang with a hidden truth. It did seem a lot like Amami and Ouma were watching over him. But then it was the question of why? Why were they watching over him? Why _him_ , of all people?

Shuuichi felt his face burn like fire as he thought of the possibilities. _Maybe_... but no, he had no evidence to back up his theories.

“Hey, are you okay bro? If you’re sick or something we can stop and just talk. Or we can just look at the stars, they always make me feel better.”

“You were never working out in the first place. You'd definitely die easily in a fight.”

“I-I'm fine. If you guys wanna keep going, I’m up for it.”

Shuuichi wasn’t sure whether he should be happy or sad that his crushes paid so much attention to him. Overall, he felt fear. Until he knew how his roommates felt about him, he didn’t want to be too obvious. He didn’t want them to catch on to him just yet.

“No way, bro. As my sidekick, it’s my job to make sure you’re fortified both physically and mentally, and it’s obvious something's on your mind.”

“Sorry Momota-kun, but it’s really nothing. I think I’m gonna head back to the dorms now.”

As Shuuichi was walking back, he felt like he was being watched.

When he got back to his room, he found his roommates fast asleep on the couch together.

It didn’t make any sense.

Shuuichi sat down in the space between them and drifted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was contemplating putting this chapter up early because I wanted to go to bed before midnight but when I checked the time again it was already past then. I really suck at time management haha.


	7. La Lune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So we stay awake like we always do  
> We try to recreate  
> When enough has changed and I’m next to you  
> It doesn’t feel the same
> 
> Madeon

Shuuichi realized that not everything has to be serious.

“Amami-chan, hurry up! It’s about to start!”

“There’s still a minute left, we can’t really rush it.”

“Ouma-kun, we'll be fine without the popcorn for now.”

They were marathoning all of Sherlock tonight. Shuuichi had been reminiscing on his childhood, remembering the stormy nights where he had been too scared to sleep. On those nights, his uncle would let Shuuichi stay up with him to watch Sherlock and work on their own cases.

It was stormy tonight, Shuuichi couldn’t sleep, and he had no cases to work on.

He had originally meant to marathon it alone. His roommates had already been asleep, and he didn’t have the heart to wake them. All he did was turn on the tv, and that was when he realized how bad an idea that was.

Shuuichi remembered Ouma's plan to prank Amami by presetting the tv to the highest possible volume.

The Pokémon theme song playing so loud it probably woke up the entire dorm was how he ended up sitting between Ouma and Amami at 2 in the morning, reliving his childhood and filling himself on popcorn. Definitely not the worst way the night could’ve ended up. Aside from angry people from neighboring dorm rooms visiting, Shuuichi definitely wasn’t complaining.

“This show is really good. Are you sure it isn’t actually a realistic anime instead of a British show? I like anime waaaaay better than anything else.”

“I don’t think anyone could draw and animate Benedict Cumberbatch nearly that well.”

“Maaaan, how lame.”

The three of them ended up staying up all night watching Sherlock, creating theories and headcanons and engaging in debates on which ship is the best. It certainly didn’t feel anything like when Shuuichi was younger, but he wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s 2018 but Sherlock is still cool right? Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I might be putting up another one today but that depends on if I can finish the chapter I’m on today too.


	8. Quiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tell me when you feel ready  
> I’m the one there’s not too many  
> Hold my hand to keep me steady  
> Just to be quiet with you
> 
> Lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dealing with a group of five year olds and getting no sleep make for an extremely exhausting combo, but I did manage to finish a chapter while I was busy not sleeping, so as promised, another chapter is going up today.

Shuuichi questioned the meaning of life.

Classes had been cancelled that day due to two of the professors getting married with a large majority of the faculty being invited to the wedding. Every student was happy, either for the couple, or simply because they had another day to procrastinate.

Shuuichi was resting peacefully in the grass, laying beside Amami and Ouma. They all stared up at the leaves and sky above them, talking about anything that came to mind. Shuuichi had to admit; it was extremely calming and pleasant, even if his heart was beating a mile a minute.

“What do you believe in my beloved Saihara-chan?”

The calming and pleasant feeling vanished in an instant. The question completely blind sided him, and he could only imagine the face he was making in response. It must’ve been really bad since Amami tacked on to the question.

“How about an easier question: do you think when you die you’ll end up in heaven or hell?”

Despite Amami's words, the question really wasn’t any easier. Both were a question of faith and morals, both of which Shuuichi never really had established in his life due to his upbringing. His entire being only acknowledged finding and spreading the truth as right, with every other action being a conscious effort. Whether that made him a good or bad person was something Shuuichi never considered.

“What about purgatory or reincarnation?”

“... huh?”

They sounded so in sync that it almost made Shuuichi want to laugh. Almost.

“Well think about it, there’s really no way to know what happens when you die until you actually die, and seeing how people can have completely different morals, or completely different religions, doesn’t it seem unfair to judge everyone on the same scale? It makes the concept of heaven and hell seem implausible. That only leaves options like purgatory and reincarnation because there's no judgement involved in it.”

“... huh?”

Ouma and Amami both gave him the blankest stares he’d ever seen, and this time Shuuichi really did laugh.

In the middle of his fit of laughter, he noticed Amami and Ouma glance at each other. Shuuichi wasn’t sure what emotion was trying to be conveyed, but he decided to ignore it.

“Why don’t we just forget about all that and just enjoy the day?”

“That would be nice, so I’m in.”

“That sounds waaaaay better than you blowing our minds with philosophy.”

The three of them sat quietly in the shade of the tree, and Shuuichi decided he didn’t care where he ended up as long as he got to stay with Amami and Ouma like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d just like to say that all the comments make me so happy and even though I’m not replying to any of them I read each and every one of them and they all make my day. Thank you guys for all the support and encouragement, I really appreciate it!


	9. Professional Griefers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Give me the sound to see  
> Another world outside that’s full of  
> All the broken things that I made.  
> Just give me a life to bleed  
> Another world outside that’s full of  
> All the awful things that I made
> 
> Deadmau5

Shuuichi learned to not underestimate Rantarou Amami.

“One of my sisters just gave me this game, do you want to play it with me Saihara-kun?”

Shuuichi was by all means the exact opposite of a gamer. He never in his life owned a console or any type of gaming system unless you count a computer. The only multiplayer games he has experience with are chess and uno. Some would say it’s sad, but Shuuichi was usually okay with this.

_Usually_.

“Looks like I’m on an 8 player kill streak.”

When it came down to a matter of impressing his crush with his gaming skills, Shuuichi was very much not okay with his extreme lack of experience with video games.

“I’m pretty sure I’m the only person you’ve killed so far...”

“Well it is pretty easy, no offense but you kinda suck at this game Saihara-kun.”

Shuuichi wanted to bury himself as far underground as he could and never come up again. Amami had admitted to sharing Shuuichi's lack of experience when it came to anything that his sisters hadn’t forced him to play with them, but when he killed him for the 13th time in a row, he started to seriously doubt that statement.

“Throwing your controller at the screen to break it won’t help you win you know.”

”Get out of my head Amami-kun.”

Shuuichi had learned the routine. Whenever he got upset or angry around Amami, he’d suddenly feel the space around him heat up ever so slightly. At first, he assumed that it was just a result of being flustered. But it definitely wasn’t a coincidence that Amami had the faintest hint of a smirk each time it happened.

“Why do you do that Amami-kun?”

“Do what?”

Shuuichi didn’t miss the brief flash of panic in Amami's eyes. He couldn’t lie to himself anymore: Amami was hiding something from him.

“Every time I get angry or upset, you smirk. It’s subtle, but I’ve noticed it every time. It’s almost as if...”

_You wanted me to get upset_ are the words Shuuichi didn’t say, replaced instead by a fit of coughs that left his throat sore. Amami jumped up and rushed to Shuuichi's side, pounding on his back in an attempt to help. He eventually ended up leaning heavily against Amami as he was helped into bed with a glass of water resting on his night stand.

That night ended with a fever dream of a green demon standing over him, telling him to get better with a gentle laugh that sent chills down Shuuichi's spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell that this is where I decided to attempt a plot amidst all the fluff? Things are about to pick up from here, and just as a forewarning I only know basic things about some countries mythologies. It doesn’t make sense yet, but it will next chapter. Thanks for reading all the way to this point, the next chapter will probably be going up on Monday!


	10. The River Of Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of the night  
> I go walking in my sleep  
> From the mountain of faith  
> To the river so deep
> 
> Billy Joel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going up at 1 because someone in the discord chat I’m in recommended fight or flight to me and I’ve spent the last couple hours reading the first part instead of doing my homework haha. Also I’d like to say that I’d die of happiness if anyone made fanart for this, so it’s okay to go ahead and do that.

Shuuichi began to question his perception of reality.   
  
He woke up on the bank of a river, and he knew for a fact that there were no rivers near the campus for miles. And that’s not even taking into account that he was asleep in his bed with a fever last time he checked.   
  
Shuuichi picked himself up, only to trip and fall right back down. He had tripped over someone laying down, that much he was sure of. He looked next to him only to see a flurry of purple and white...  _ feathers _ ?   
  
Shuuichi recalled the feather with the same colors that he still had hidden away under his pillow.   
  
Aside from the wings, the only other thing visible was a mop of disheveled purple hair. Shuuichi wasn’t sure whether to wake him and confirm his suspicions or leave it be and leave it up to his imagination.   
  
“... Saihara-chan?”   
  
Ouma got up slowly, rubbing his eyes as he did so.   
  
“What are you doing in... my... room?”   
  
Shuuichi watched as Ouma took in the situation, watched as his mask slipped for the slightest moment to show panic before being schooled back into his usual smile.   
  
“Wow, I never knew my beloved Saihara-chan could go into other people’s dreams. Hey, you better only be looking at my dreams and not Amami-chan’s or else I’ll never forgive you!”   
  
Shuuichi couldn’t tell whether that was a lie or not, but before he could ask that question, Ouma answered it for him.   
  
“But that’s a lie! Do you wanna know the truth?”   
  
Shuuichi was nodding his head before he could think twice, and he then watched as Ouma stretched out those wings of purple and white to their full size. Shuuichi found himself entranced by the wings. To know they belonged to Ouma only made it that much more mesmerizing.   
  
“I’m actually your guardian angel and I brought your here in my sleep because I wanted to heal you.”   
  
Shuuichi almost didn’t hear the words. Almost. He was shocked still, and the first words that popped into his head were leaving his mouth before he could stop them.   
  
“That’s a lie too, isn’t it?”   
  
Shuuichi might’ve imagined it, but he could’ve sworn Ouma actually looked hurt for a moment.   
  
“You got me! This is actually just another one of your fever dreams, and that’s the truth.”   
  
Ouma did his usual laugh, and Shuuichi didn’t believe him. This all felt way too real to be any type of dream. The water was too cold, and his heart beat too fast for him to fall for such an obvious lie. Shuuichi wanted to lie to himself, but he knew he couldn’t.   
  
“If you wanna wake up, you gotta fall asleep here. So hurry up, I don’t wanna be stuck in your head all night or else my legs will hurt.”   
  
Shuuichi decided that for now it’d be better to just listen, so he sat down and closed his eyes. He fell asleep before he even realized, and when he opened his eyes again, he was back in his bed and soaking wet, and felt a lot better than he had when he first fell asleep.   
  
Shuuichi took the feather that was resting on top of him, putting it with the other one.   
  
Shuuichi needed to know the whole truth.   
  
He knew where he could find it.   



	11. What You Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And I can tell just what you want  
> You don’t want to be alone  
> You don’t want to be alone  
> And I can’t say it’s what you know  
> But you’ve known it the whole time  
> Yeah you’ve known it the whole time
> 
> Two Door Cinema Club

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going up early because I need to sleep more for my own health and to get my beta reader to not be mad at me. This is still the Thursday update but I didn’t want to keep you guys waiting. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Shuuichi stood by his bedroom door. He could see and hear Ouma and Amami well enough from here without being noticed.   
  
“The only reason I let you stay so close to him is because you said you wouldn’t hurt him!”   
  
“I haven’t hurt him. And I told you that I’d only let you stay if you didn’t get in my way.”   
  
“Do you really think you can threaten me?”   
  
“Oh, I know I can.”   
  
Shuuichi jumped slightly as he heard, more than saw, Amami pin Ouma against the wall.   
  
When he looked again, Ouma had his wings out, and Amami had a pair of green horns, a pointed green tail, and green bat wings. Shuuichi realized at that moment that none of his fever dreams were ever really dreams.

 

He should’ve turned away. He should’ve went back to sleep and just pretend that none of this happened. A part of him was screaming to do just that.

 

Shuuichi needed to know the whole truth though.

  
“Do you really expect me to be afraid of some dirty demon?”   
  
Shuuichi watched Amami lean in close to Ouma's face, he didn’t want to keep watching, but he needed to know the truth.

 

“Oh, I know you aren’t. That’s why I expect something else...”   
  
Before the two supernatural beings could get any closer to each other, Shuuichi walked out of his bedroom. He couldn’t look at them, if he did he knew his heart would break into a million little pieces. He didn’t want to be alone, he didn’t want to live without them, but if he had to, he would.   
  
Shuuichi could feel their eyes burning holes through him. He kept walking without looking back. He walked out of the room, and then out of the building, and then off the campus. He didn’t know when he started running, but what he did know is that he didn’t recognize anything.   
  
He got himself lost.

  
_ He had lost himself _ .   
  
He should’ve known, he did know. It had been right in front of him the whole time.   
  
It didn’t make any sense.   
  
Shuuichi didn’t want it to make sense.   
  
Shuuichi curled up into a ball. He didn’t want to know any more truths if it would make him feel this way.   
  
He’d avoid the truth from now on.   
  
Especially the truth that he was crying right now.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Shuuichi be okay? Why is he being so dramatic? Why are Ouma and Amami so oblivious to what’s going on around them? Find out next chapter where there’s gonna be a perspective change!


	12. Volatile Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goodbye my friends  
> Goodbye to the money  
> Adieu to the fuckers that think that it's funny  
> I just wanna turn the lights on  
> In these volatile times  
> I just wanna turn the lights on  
> In these volatile  
> Volatile times
> 
> IAMX

Rantarou realized how much of an idiot he was.   
  
Saihara saw them. He saw the both of them for what they truly were, completely and utterly not human. When he walked out, Rantarou had been too shocked to move. That was his first mistake.   
  
“Fuck!”   
  
He finally came to his senses, and the first thing he felt was a black hole in his stomach that filled him with fear. Saihara left. Saihara was gone. Saihara was  _ gone _ . And it was all his fault. This wasn’t how this was supposed to happen. Saihara wasn’t supposed to find out about him or Ouma until he died, once one of them had completely swayed him, and he wasn’t supposed to die for another 70 years last time he checked, but what if he died now, what if they couldn’t save him, what if-   
  
“Amami!”   
  
His name being shouted without the usual honorifics dragged Rantarou out of his thoughts and back to reality. Ouma looked as panicked as he assumed he himself did.   
  
“Lets go. The sooner we find him, the better.”   
  
Rantarou watched as Ouma tucked his wings away, heading towards the door with a determination he’d never thought the angel possessed. He refused to admit that it was hot, it wasn't the time for that afterall. That’s what got them into this mess in the first place.   
  
Love was the most delicious evil of all to Rantarou, but it wasn’t until this moment that he understood why that was.   
  
Rantarou followed after Ouma, turning off the lights as he walked out. He reverted back to his human form as they walked to Ouma's car (how he managed to get a car or even a license was beyond him), and once they were inside they were driving.   
  
“Where do we even begin looking?”   
  
It was a question neither of them had considered before setting out. How would they find Saihara? They couldn’t just ask around, that’d be too suspicious, and they didn’t want to cause a scene. No, this had to remain a secret from everyone else on campus.   
  
“I could ask Yumeno-chan for her crystal ball? She might not give it to me, but I think it’s the best chance we have.”   
  
“No, you know she’d ask why we need it, and if she knew the truth the entire world would know.”   
  
“So then we lie, that’s my specialty y'know.”   
  
“No, there has to be a better way.”   
  
Rantarou sighed, breathing deeply as he thought. It was hard to think straight with his heart so full and his stomach so empty...   
  
“That’s it!”   
  
“Huh?”   
  
“He’s probably feeling all kind of negative emotions right now, I could use that to sniff him out!”   
  
Rantarou honestly wasn’t sure it would work, but at this point it was the best chance they had while keeping the entire situation under wraps. Ouma drove at the pace of a marching funeral, making sure not to go too fast so Rantarou could completely gather his bearings as they went.   
  
“... turn left and head towards the forest.”   
  
Ouma sped up considerably, reaching the edge of the forest in no time. He stopped the car just before the line where the forest ended and the highway began.   
  
“We have to go by foot from here. You know how Shinguuji-chan is about burial grounds.”   
  
“Yea, I think it’s safe to fly from here though, no one else is around here.”   
  
They crossed the line, reverting back to their true forms before taking to the skies. Rantarou could sense Saihara, but he couldn’t believe where he was.   
  
“He’s... he’s on the mountain peak...”   
  
“What? That doesn't make sense! No one is supposed to be able to get up there, especially not humans!"   
  
Every supernatural being knew that it was impossible for any human to reach the peak of this particular mountain. Why that was, nobody was quite sure, but it was simply a universal fact. Most supernatural beings couldn’t reach it themselves, so the fact that Saihara could was impossible. And yet...   
  
“We need to hurry!”   
  
They raced to the mountain top, slowing down once they were in range of stable footing near the peak. Landing, Ouma looked to Rantarou with a doubtful yet expecting look.   
  
“Are you sure he's here? You know what it might mean if he is, right?”   
  
“My senses never lead me wrong. And of course I know what it means. But you know as well as I do that he still has almost a century left.”   
  
Rantarou refused to accept that Saihara could be dead up here. He didn’t even want to think about that. He refused to let that be the truth.   
  
“This way.”   
  
They walked between the slowly thinning rows of trees, and both of them stopped dead in their tracks.   
  
There was a body laying on its side, devoid of any kind of color except for the eyes. A pure gold covered the entirety of the body's eyes, empty, unblinking, and blind.   
  
Rantarou Amami refused the truth.   
  
It didn’t make any sense.   
  
Saihara wasn’t dead.   
  
He wasn’t.   
  
_ He wasn’t _ .   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A perspective change? In an ndrv3 fanfic? It's more likely than you think! Anyway, the chapters start picking up a bit more after this, although I wouldn't say by much. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next one will most likely be out on Thursday, so have fun with this cliff hanger until then!


	13. Little Pistol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Up on my side, where it is felt  
> I pack a little pistol on my pistol belt  
> I think it might be fear  
> Of the world, and the way  
> It makes you feel afraid
> 
> Mother Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOA ANOTHER CHAPTER TODAY WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? I know that as a writer I'm supposed to enjoy the pain caused by cliff hangers but as a reader I know it's the worst feeling ever, so here's another chapter where Saihara may or may not be dead.

Kokichi realized how little control he had over his emotions.   
  
“This... doesn’t make any sense...”   
  
Kokichi's brain refused to process the situation. He was frozen with shock, Saihara was dead. He was really dead. He had an entire century to live, and Kokichi was supposed to make sure of that as his guardian angel and he fucked up something so simple and now Saihara was dead and it was all his fault for being so stupid and-   
  
“Ouma!”   
  
Kokichi jolted back to reality. Amami gave him a hard stare, one filled with confusion and hope. Kokichi always relied on his ability to read people, but the hint of hope in Amami's eyes didn’t make any sense.   
  
“He's not dead.”   
  
“... huh?”   
  
“He's still giving off negative emotions, so at the very least he's still got some life in him. But we probably don’t have much time, who knows what being up here so long can do to a human.”   
  
Kokichi always thought he could completely control his emotions. He tried to control them right now in order to not get his hopes up, this situation in itself was impossible after all.   
  
Kokichi knew that the overwhelming hope he was feeling showed on his face.   
  
“We can take him to the River Styx! It'll heal him!”   
  
“We're not allowed to go there though...”   
  
“Correction: you’re not allowed to go there. I, on the other hand, can go wherever I want. Besides, I already took Saihara-chan there before.”   
  
“What?!”   
  
“Well, I mean I did take him there while sleep flying, but I dipped him in again after I woke up just to make sure.”

  
“Don’t you know what happens to humans who are dipped in the River Styx?”   
  
“Ugh, don’t tell me you believe in that Achilles crap. There’s a reason it’s called a myth.”   
  
“That’s the whole reason we're not allowed to go there!”   
  
“Well, it’s the only way we can save Saihara-chan, so it’s either break the rules or let him die for good.”   
  
Kokichi didn’t wait for an answer. Picking up Saihara was easy after all the times he’d carry him before. He flew off, knowing Amami wouldn’t be far behind him. It took them about an hour, but by the time they landed it seemed like millenniums had gone by, and each moment Saihara grew colder in Kokichi's arms.   
  
“I’m gonna toss him in.”   
  
“What?! You can’t just  _ toss him- _ “   
  
Kokichi had already tossed Saihara in, watching him closely from the bank of the river. Amami sighed loudly and moved to stand next to him. They both watched as Saihara's eyes went back to their regular white, but as the color returned to Saihara's body, the color faded from everything surrounding him.   
  
The river turned from its sparkling blue to a starch white. The banks started to turn to brimstone, and the greenery that surrounded the area swiftly caught fire. Kokichi knew that Amami could see the panic in his face, but he didn’t care right now.   
  
“We have to get Saihara out of here!”   
  
Amami moved first, flying over to Saihara and lifting him out of the water. Ouma flew behind him, looking back only once to see the once scenic view turned to mud and ash and sulfur.   
  
Kokichi knew at that moment that everything he knew was a lie.   
  
That was no big surprise


	14. Pork Soda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why can't we laugh now like we did then  
> How come I see you and ache instead  
> How come you only look pleased in bed  
> Let's climb the cliffside and jump again
> 
> Glass Animals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I heard everyone wanted longer chapters and more of Enoshima as the actual devil so here's a longer chapter where Enoshima is the actual devil. I hope you all enjoy!

Shuuichi felt like he was dangling on the edge of a cliff.   
  
“He’s not healing properly, why isn’t he healing properly?”   
  
“Maybe because you  _ tossed him into the River Styx. _ ”   
  
“It worked for his fever though!”   
  
“Well, you saw what happened this time, maybe you broke it?”   
  
“How the hell do you  _ break a river _ ?”   
  
“Apparently you would know.”   
  
Shuuichi could hear, but he wasn’t understanding anything. He didn’t understand the words being spoken, and he couldn’t understand the words in his own head.   
  
“Well, I don’t know. What I do know is that we gotta do something and soon.”   
  
“Hmm... he has no physical injuries, so whatever needs healing is probably psychological. Maybe-“   
  
“Don’t you even suggest what I think you’re about to!”   
  
“She knows the most about psychological trauma. It makes the most sense that we'd go to her for help.”   
  
“Pfft- yea, help. Like she would help us. You make a deal with the devil and there’s always a catch.”   
  
“She’s helped me before.”   
  
“It’s not you she’d be helping. She’d be helping Saihara-chan. And she wouldn't help a human without there being a catch.”   
  
So many questions were running through Shuuichi's head. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t even blink. He thought he should feel afraid, but he couldn’t feel anything. It was as if his entire body had completely shut down, and his brain was very close to doing the same.   
  
“Well what’s your brilliant idea then?”   
  
“We could go to Naegi-chan.”   
  
“No.”   
  
“It’s better than her.”   
  
“He wouldn’t help us either, you know how he is with his whole not getting involved policy and the whole “everything is for the sake of hope” thing. He’d let Saihara-kun die and probably have our heads for breaking the River Styx too.”   
  
“No he wouldn’t, he likes me.”   
  
“The day he likes you is the day hell freezes over.”   
  
Shuuichi saw Amami come towards him, his hand reaching out to grab him. He felt himself being lifted off the floor, and he could hear Ouma's yells of protest. Shuuichi wanted nothing more than to tell them that he was perfectly fine, or at least turn his head to them and give them a smile of reassurance. He couldn’t do any of that though.   
  
“When Saihara-chan ends up with amnesia or grows a second head or something, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.”   
  
Shuuichi watched the world move around him as he was carried to the seafront that was just past the southern end of the campus. He wanted to ask where they were going, who he was being taken to. The most he could do was twitch his eye ever so slightly.   
  
One hand left Shuuichi's body and in a moment he was falling. Adrenaline rushed through his body. Not being able to scream was driving him insane. When he felt the world stop falling around him, he realized that he was lucky he was being carried. There was no way he’d be able to survive a drop like that otherwise.   
  
“I can’t believe we're actually going to the actual devil for help.”   
  
Shuuichi heard a knocking sound, realizing that they were standing in front of a house. The door opened, but all he could see from the angle he was being held were a pair of ridiculously high heels.   
  
“Ugh, what do you want? I was in the middle of something.”   
  
Shuuichi vaguely recognized the voice of a girl from the year above him. What was her name? His mind offered up only blanks.   
  
“We need your help.”   
  
“Yea no shit Sherlock, why else would you come to hell with a half dead human and knock on the devil's door. Just hurry up and get in here.”   
  
Shuuichi was getting tired of laying down on the floor, but unfortunately he couldn’t do much to argue. The face of a girl, Enoshima, his mind finally provided, came into his vision. She glared at him for a good minute before leaving his line of sight again.   
  
“Yep, he's definitely brain dead. What am I supposed to do about it?”   
  
“Brain dead?”   
  
“Yea that’s what I just fucking said. Need me to say it louder? HE'S BRAIN DEAD!”   
  
Shuuichi decided that he didn’t like Enoshima. From her voice alone he could tell she was loud and obnoxious.   
  
“What'd you guys do to the thing? Toss him right into the River Styx? That doesn’t ever work y'know.”   
  
Shuuichi heard Amami whisper, “I told you so” to Ouma, but he was cut off by Enoshima speaking up again.   
  
“I can help you alright, but there’s a catch. You didn’t seriously expect any favors from little ol' me without me having a bit of fun, did you?”   
  
“I told you so Amami-chan!”   
  
Shuuichi would have laughed if he had been able to, and if the catch didn’t most likely involve doing something terrible to him. Amami sighed, and Shuuichi imagined him rolling his eyes or shaking his head.   
  
“What’s the catch then?”   
  
“Well, why don’t we play a little game? If you can guess what the catch is, I won’t make it painful for him.”   
  
“Deal!”   
  
“Ouma-kun!”   
  
“What? We don’t wanna hurt Saihara-chan any more than we already have.”   
  
“But we don’t know what she does if we can’t guess!”   
  
“It doesn’t matter, half a chance to make it less painful for him is better than no chance at all.”   
  
“But if we can’t guess correctly she might kill him or something.”   
  
“Hey, uh, do you guys do this whole back and forth thing while other people are around often, because it’s pretty fucking annoying.”   
  
Both of them stopped talking, and Shuuichi could feel an amused smile trying to form on his face.   
  
“Here's a hint, how would you usually suppress psychological trauma? And if you can’t guess, I won’t kill him, his soul will just belong to me, no big deal.”   
  
“That sounds like a pretty big deal to m-“   
  
“You suppress the memory that caused it.”   
  
“Ding ding fucking ding! This avocado ass got it right first try! Angel boy, you really need to step up your game.”   
  
Shuuichi heard Ouma huff, and with the image of him crossing his arms and puffing his cheeks out like a child made him disappointed he couldn’t move.   
  
“So, what? Are you just gonna wipe his memory of the entire first semester?”   
  
“Yep! Hey, good job stepping your game up, I didn’t think you’d do it so quickly!”   
  
“Don't patronize me.”   
  
“Well that’s no way to talk to someone doing you a favor. Maybe I just won’t help you if you’re gonna be like that.”   
  
A smacking noise filled the room, and Shuuichi could only imagine that Amami had just punched Ouma in the arm. He really wished he was angled just a bit more upwards so that he could actually see everything that was going on instead of just imagining it.   
  
“Please Enoshima-san, do whatever you need to in order to save him.”   
  
“Well, since you asked so nicely. Just give the egg my regards and consider it done.”   
  
Shuuichi felt himself being lifted up again, and the last thing he saw before his entire world started flushing away were the smiles of Amami and Ouma, and a shadow following closely behind them.   
  
What the hell was tha-


	15. The Piano Knows something I Don't Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I won't cut my beard and I won't change my hair  
> It grows like fancy flowers but it grows nowhere  
> My hair, my hair  
> If I could build my house just like the Trojan horse  
> I'd put a statue of myself upon the shelf  
> Of course, of course, of course
> 
> Panic! At The Disco

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is up a bit later than usual because today is my brother's birthday and I was helping my mom bake the cake (which basically means I was stealing the cake batter once she was done with it ;;). Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Shuuichi was excited for his first day at Hope's Peak University.   
  
So excited that he had passed out and woken up to being cradled in the arms of his best friend.   
  
“Shuuichi, are you okay? I know you’re excited, but don’t get too excited that you hurt yourself, okay?”   
  
“Sorry Kaede, I just can’t believe I'm actually here!”   
  
He had transferred to the school for the spring semester of his first year. He couldn’t imagine what his life was like before he was accepted here, especially when he stood in front of the enormous campus. The life he lived before didn’t matter, not here. Here he was, a new Shuuichi Saihara with a new outlook on life.   
  
“Come on, it's better we get you settled in as soon as possible. If you faint again, it's better you do it on a bed.”   
  
“H-hey, I’m not gonna faint again, I swear.”   
  
They walked to where he assumed the dorm buildings were. He tried to memorize the way by placing landmarks for himself. He made a mental note of the acorn tree where a flock of crows were settled. He was a bit surprised, but it made sense that the most prestigious university in the world would have diverse flora and fauna.   
  
“Hey, Shuuichi, do you know anything about your roommates?”   
  
Right. Roommates. He could vaguely recall having rather annoying ones back at his old university, although he couldn’t remember the names or faces. While he was curious, he would be okay as long as they were nothing like his previous roommates.   
  
“No, I don’t. Why do you ask?”   
  
“Just wanted to know how many days I needed to have clear to save you from them. You wouldn’t believe how rowdy some of the people around here are said to be.”   
  
They approached the dorm room he was assigned to, room 26443. Shuuichi suddenly felt nervous. He could hear yelling coming from the other side of the door. Kaede shook her head and sighed.   
  
“Just text me whenever you need saving, okay? Oh! And don’t forget we're meeting up for lunch so I can show you some of the music I managed to recover!”   
  
Kaede gave him a tight hug, and with that she was on her way, whether to the music room or her own dorm room, he wasn’t sure. Shuuichi watched her go, and when she left his vision he turned around to face the door where his new life would begin. He took a deep breath to fortify his nerves, and then swung the door open.   
  
“How the hell do you  _ lose a person _ ?!”   
  
“Apparently the same way you break a river, by accident.”   
  
“How many times do I have to tell you, we're not getting in trouble for that... Dammit! There must’ve been another catch she didn’t tell us about, that bitch!”   
  
“Well sitting around won’t help us, we need to go find him.”   
  
Shuuichi felt the sudden urge to sneeze, barely covering it up by sniffing loudly and clearing his throat. He was hoping to remain indiscreet, but the noise was loud enough to draw the attention of the two strangers standing in front of him. He gave them a sheepish smile and waved.   
  
“Uh, hi, is this a bad time? I just wanted to, uh, settle in since it’s my first day here...”   
  
The two strangers stared at him, emotions flashing on their faces. It was a good minute before Shuuichi could clearly see excitement on the smaller one's face and he spoke up.   
  
“Saiha-“   
  
Only to be cut off by the taller one slapping a hand over his mouth.   
  
“You’re Saihara-kun right? Sorry about the rude welcome. We're your roommates. I’m Rantarou Amami, and this is my, uh...”   
  
Amami yelped as the smaller man licked his hand, giving a smirk as the hand was removed from his mouth.   
  
“I'm Kokichi Ouma, Rantarou-chan’s boyfriend. You look like fun, are you interested in joining my secret organization?”   
  
Shuuichi saw Amami give Ouma an incredulous look, and judging by the tone of Ouma's voice, the look could’ve been for any number of reasons. Shuuichi was hoping he didn’t have to text Kaede so soon, but judging by the way this conversation was going it seemed he would have no choice.   
  
“I, uh, I think I’m going to head back out...”   
  
Shuuichi turned around to walk towards the door. He was about to pull out his eHandbook provided by the school in order to have Kaede get him out of this mess, but before he could do any of that, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.   
  
“But you just got here. At least give us five minutes to get to know you.”   
  
Shuuichi felt like if this were anyone else the words would’ve came off as creepy, but something about Amami made him want to comply. Something that felt familiar to Shuuichi, but he couldn’t quite place it.   
  
“Yea, it’d be really rude if you just left us right away. At least let us give you a reason to hate us!”   
  
Shuuichi also felt something familiar and compelling about Ouma, but it was something lost to him. Something about this whole situation gave him a strange sense of déjà vu, but it just didn’t make any sense.   
  
Shuuichi reluctantly turned back, giving a hesitant smile to his roommates as he passed them to sit on the couch. Amami and Ouma followed suit, taking either side of him on the couch.   
  
“Do you like Sherlock? We were just about to watch it before you came in.”   
  
After two episodes of trying to theorize how Sherlock survived and how Moriarty could possibly still be alive, Shuuichi looked at the time and realized that it was 10 minutes past when he was supposed to meet Kaede. He stood up quickly, startling his two roommates in the process.   
  
“Sorry, I’m supposed to be meeting a friend for lunch and I’m late, but will you two still be here later?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“No.”   
  
Ouma and Amami gave each other a confused look, and Shuuichi couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled from his throat. For some reason, it had felt as though he hadn’t laughed for a while, so it felt as though a weight was lifted off his shoulders. When he stopped his laughing fit, he noticed Ouma and Amami looking at him with fond smiles, and he felt himself giving them one in return.   
  
“I'll see you two later, okay?”   
  
With that, Shuuichi left the dorm and started walking to the other end of the campus. A quick check of his eHandbook told him that Kaede was in the music lab, so he did his best to get there as quickly as possible. He was out of breath when he finally made it, when he heard Claire de Lune softly playing from the room, entrancing him and gently luring him into the room.   
  
“There you are! For a minute I thought you'd ditch me.”   
  
“You know I would never do that.”   
  
“I didn’t, but the piano did.”   
  
“You always say that.”   
  
“A piano might know more about you than you do, y'know. Never underestimate the power of music Shuuichi."   
  
Shuuichi listened to Kaede play for so long, he wasn’t even sure it was the same day when he finally exited the lab. It was already dark out though, so he knew he must've been in there for a while.   
  
He made his way back to his dorm, carefully opening and closing the door in case his roommates had already turned in for the night. He felt content as he finally flopped onto his bed to sleep.   
  
Shuuichi could definitely get used to this new life.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention it, but there's a reference to another great v3 fic in this chapter! To the first 5 people who can find it, I'll let them in on what's coming up next for our poor shy boy!


	16. Sure As Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I never felt more free,  
> I've never been more true  
> Never thought I'd see today with you  
> I didn't picture this  
> I wasn't hoping high  
> Now I'm reaching for the things I left behind  
> 'cause I'm finally content  
> And I sure as hell meant all of it
> 
> Tonight Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is my lovely beta reader's birthday, and I'm also performing in a concert with my band and chorus classes! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Kokichi heard the quiet click of the door as it opened and closed.   
  
Saihara had just made it back, and he wanted nothing more than to go and ask him what kept him out for so long. Kokichi had his suspicions, but he couldn’t confirm them because Amami was blocking the door.   
  
“You can leave when you tell me why you told him we’re dating.”   
  
Kokichi thought it was obvious, but apparently it was only obvious to him. Either that, or Amami was just oblivious. Either way, he wasn’t about to just say the reason without making the other man work for the answer.   
  
“Well it's obvious isn't it? I really thought you would’ve been the first to think of it Amami-chan.”   
  
Amami gave him a confused look, and then seemed to be contemplating it. Kokichi smirked as he saw the realization slowly spread across his face.   
  
“When he left before, it was because...”   
  
“Because he got attached to us.”   
  
“And when he saw us, he automatically assumed the worst.”   
  
“So to stop that from happening again-“   
  
“You made it so he wouldn’t fall in love with either of us.”   
  
Kokichi's smirk turned into a sad smile as a second realization covered Amami's face.   
  
“... He... he really did love us.”   
  
“And all we did was hurt him.”   
  
Kokichi sighed and sat down on his bed, Amami coming over to join him after a moment. Falling in love was the worst thing an angel could do, especially with a human, or a demon. Kokichi had found himself doing both of those things, and he knew that if Naegi found out he'd be in serious trouble.   
  
It was in situations like these that Kokichi wished he could hide his feelings from himself as well as he could hide them from others.   
  
“It's not your fault you know.”   
  
“I know. I never once blamed myself for it.”   
  
“That’s a lie.”   
  
Apparently Kokichi wasn’t hiding his feelings from anyone very well.   
  
Kokichi prepared to fire off another lie when Amami simply pulled him into a tight hug. He was surprised, his heart beating loudly against his chest. Apparently both of them were surprised, because Kokichi could feel Amami's heart beating steadily as well. He realized that both of them were absolutely terrible at hiding their true feelings, at least from each other.   
  
“It really isn’t your fault, Ouma-kun. Nobody's to blame for that. You just wanted to protect him. Okay?”   
  
He wasn’t sure when he started crying, but he wasn’t about to protest when Amami moved to wipe a few stray tears from his face. Kokichi realized just how far he had fallen, and he couldn’t be anything but surprised by how okay he was with it.   
  
“Okay.”   
  
He could only tell Amami heard his whispered response by the way his smile widened ever so slightly. That was when the question crossed his mind, and his mouth went to autopilot before he could stop himself.   
  
“Did you love Saihara-chan?”   
  
Amami looked at him and smiled with sad eyes. Kokichi could see the answer in his face before he said the words.   
  
“Yes, and I still do. I don’t think anything is gonna change that.”   
  
“I-“   
  
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you too, Kokichi.”   
  
“I know.”   
  
There was a soft knock on the door, and that was when they both realized that at some point while they were talking, it had started storming. Kokichi looked at the time, 3 o'clock in the morning, and then went to open the door. Saihara stood there, surprised probably by the fact the door had even opened.   
  
“I, uh, couldn’t sleep, and I was wondering if you guys wanted to keep watching Sherlock.”   
  


Kokichi decided it was time to put his mask back on. After all, it’d only be putting Saihara in danger if he knew how they felt about him. That, and Kokichi needed some reassurance that he could hide his feelings as well as he liked to believe.

  
“How could we turn down an offer from you, Saihara-chan?”   
  
Saihara smiled and turned to head back to the living room. Kokichi turned to follow him, but not before turning around.   
  
“I love you too Rantarou. And I mean that.”   
  
Kokichi left the room to join Saihara on the couch, and it wasn’t long before Rantarou came and joined them, grabbing his hand once he had settled himself next to Kokichi.   
  
Kokichi would be content if he could stay in this moment forever.   



	17. Sleepyhead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And you say  
> It was like fire around the brim  
> Burning solid burning thin the burning rim  
> Like stars burning holes right through the dark  
> Flicking fire like saltwater into my eyes  
> You were one inch from the edge of this bed  
> I drag you back  
> A sleepyhead  
> Sleepyhead
> 
> Passions Pit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been playing a lot of v3 lately and I just wanna say how great the virtual world is because if you face a character and walk in that direction you start walking through them and you can position it to make it look like they're kissing and every ship is canon if you believe. Anyway, enjoy the chapter everyone!

Rantarou sighed as he watched Kokichi pace the room.   
  
He shouldn't have been surprised, most people tend to sleep walk when they're stressed. Pacing a room for an hour while asleep was something else entirely though.   
  
Rantarou wasn’t sure whether it was because of the “fake” date they planned in the McKuma's they both knew Saihara frequented between his classes, or if it was the report Kokichi had to give Naegi very soon.   
  
Whatever it was, it would drive Rantarou insane if Kokichi kept at it.   
  
Rantarou sighed again. He knew the worst thing you could do when someone was sleep walking was wake them, but did he really have a choice? Even if Kokichi stopped sleep walking, he'd most likely end up-   
  
Kokichi collapsed onto the floor, finally stopping his restless pacing and returning to a peaceful sleep.   
  
_ About time. _   
  
Rantarou carefully picked Kokichi up, placing him gently on the bed before returning to it himself and pulling the cover over both of them. He rested on his side and watched Kokichi sleep. He refused to let him start sleep walking again, making the decision that if Kokichi tried to leave the bed again he'd hold him in place.   
  
Rantarou hadn’t planned on falling asleep himself. When he opened his eyes again, he held his breath as he saw Kokichi out of bed and half naked. It wasn’t until he turned around, eyes clearly open and alert, that Rantarou let himself breath properly again.   
  
“Oh good, you’re awake. We're gonna be late for our  _ date _ if you don’t hurry up.”   
  
“Hmm, if you’re not careful you might give the impression you’re actually excited about it.”   
  
Rantarou pulled himself out of bed with a stretch and yawn. He didn’t really know how much sleep he got since he was more focused on Kokichi than the time before he fell asleep. All he knew was that it wasn’t nearly enough. It was times like these that he came to really appreciate that he didn’t have any morning classes.   
  
“Hey, you’re the fashion major, which outfit screams trying too hard because you’re madly in love but not really?”   
  
“You'd know better than me, you’re the drama queen after all.”   
  
“Says the guy who'd set a room on fire to make someone cry.”   
  
“I wouldn’t set a room on fire.”   
  
“Well it sure seems like you would right now.”   
  
Rantarou really wished this didn’t happen every time he was feeding off of someone’s negative emotions. He could at least be glad that Kokichi didn’t understand the implications of it. It was better if he thought he was keeping his bad mood a secret. Rantarou grabbed the outfit he had prepared the night before and quickly changed into it while Kokichi had his back turned.   
  
“Aww, you’re no fun. I wanted to watch you.”   
  
Rantarou rolled his eyes as he grabbed Kokichi's hand, leading him out of the room and grabbing his keys on his way out the dorm.   
  
“Wow, Rantarou-chan is being so pushy! And here I thought he would be a bottom, I guess I was wrong though!”   
  
A glance back let Rantarou see that Kokichi was grinning from ear to ear, but that didn’t explain why Rantarou could feel a storm of negativity radiating off of him. He decided to bite the bullet since avoiding the topic was only doing one of them good.   
  
“When do you have to give that report to Naegi-kun?”   
  
Rantarou watched as Kokichi's face went blank, the negative emotions becoming that much stronger as he felt him practically shudder. Kokichi grinned again, but Rantarou couldn’t be fooled by his act.   
  
“Right after our little date. I might have to ditch you just to get it in on time, so we gotta order a lot of bread sticks. Oh, and I have to buy a purse on the way there!”   
  
Rantarou stopped walking, turning around to face Kokichi. He bumped into Rantarou, having been caught off guard by him suddenly stopping. Rantarou looked him straight in the eyes, nearly getting lost as he did. He didn’t want to see any pain in those purple irises.   
  
“Don’t worry yourself to death over this. Naegi-kun is a good guy, he won’t hold it against you. And if things go bad, you can always blame me. It was mostly my fault after all.”   
  
“No.”   
  
“Huh?”   
  
Rantarou was caught off guard by the glare Kokichi gave him.   
  
“Don't baby me just because you're worried about me. I'm not gonna blame you, so don’t expect me to.”   
  
Kokichi turned his head away in a pout, but Rantarou could see the blush on his cheeks. He chuckled to himself, rustling Kokichi's hair as he did. He wasn’t sure what he did to deserve someone like Kokichi in his life, but he was definitely glad to have him around.   
  
“Do you wanna just go back and sleep some more after our date?”   
  
“... Do you even have to ask?”   
  
Rantarou wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything in the world.   



	18. Floral and Fading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You say you wanna chase the moon like fire well  
> Together we can fake our own death here  
> Just wanna be alone and watch as you all just disappear
> 
> Pierce the Veil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beta and I had a long day today so this chapter is mostly unedited. But on the bright side, we learned that if you replace pirates with robots the opening for spongebob the musical becomes a v3 meme. I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and sorry for any mistakes!

Shuuichi, you're really stupid sometimes. No offense.”   
  
Shuuichi and Kaede were walking towards the nearby McKuma's after their shared writing class. How two people with completely different majors have almost all the same classes was a complete mystery to Shuuichi, but he chalked it up to them being freshmen and having to take some mandatory core classes.   
  
“So letting you cheat off of my test makes me stupid?”   
  
Shuuichi laughed as he held the door for Kaede. He walked straight to the line and looked up at the menu. He never did understand why a fast food restaurant would sell omelets, and the thought of eating one made Shuuichi want to gag. The day he ate an omelet would be the day the world ends.   
  
“No, but letting the entire class cheat off your test definitely does. I’m gonna go find a seat, I just want fries and a soda.”   
  
Shuuichi was next in line when Kaede left, quickly ordering for Kaede and getting noodles for himself. He tried to spot Kaede in the crowd of people, which wasn’t hard since he only had to look for a blond ahoge. What he didn’t expect to see, though, was green and purple heads of hair sitting across from each other at the next table over. Something about that made his heart feel heavy, but Shuuichi decided to ignore it.   
  
Shuuichi grabbed the door once it was ready, walking over to the table Kaede sat at while pointedly not looking at the neighboring table. He set the food down before sitting down himself.   
  
“Thanks Shuuichi, next time lunch is on me!”   
  
Kaede grabbed her food off the tray, digging in to her fries quickly. Shuuichi smiled at her before starting to eat his own noodles, ignoring how the purple hair behind her swiveled slightly towards him, then away. Shuuichi's heart and brain were at war when Kaede snapped him back to reality.   
  
“So hey, you never told me what your roommates are like. I’m assuming they aren’t too bad since you haven’t needed me to rescue you from them.”   
  
Shuuichi nearly choked. It’d probably be bad if he talked about them quite literally right behind their backs. But he supposed as long as he didn’t say anything too bad about them they wouldn’t mind too much. It didn’t seem like they were paying much attention to Shuuichi's conversation anyway.   
  
“You're right, they're pretty cool. They’re also fans of Sherlock and they don’t mind staying up to watch it with me.”   
  
“You definitely lucked out then. Both of my roommates are so loud and quirky, I don’t think I can keep up with them all the time, even if they have already become like sisters to me.”

  
Shuuichi wondered if it was a good idea to tell Kaede that both his roommates were right behind her. The possibilities of what might happen if he did ran through his head, and it took Kaede waving a hand in front of his face and a subtle movement of green hair to bring him back down to earth.   
  
“You were spacing out, did you even hear me?”   
  
“Uh, no, sorry. What’d you say?”   
  
“I asked if your roommates were cute. They must be if you have a look like that on your face when you think about them.”   
  
Shuuichi saw both Ouma and Amami move to look, and Shuuichi's face immediately went red at what they might’ve been expecting to see.   
  
“I-it isn’t like that Kaede...”   
  
“You say that, but your face tells the true story clear as day!”   
  
Shuuichi wished he still had his hat as Kaede laughed. He stole a glance behind her to see that Amami and Ouma were both still looking at him. Kaede must’ve seen where he was looking though, because she turned around and abruptly stopped laughing. Shuuichi couldn’t see her face, but he could imagine the expression of confusion she wore.   
  
“Uh, can we help you two?”   
  
“No, but he can. Saihara-chan, can you get us the ketchup pwetty pwease?”   
  
“Kokichi, we have sauce right here.”   
  
“I know, but I feel like red would look better on Saihara-chan's date!”   
  
“Hey, wait a minute!”   
  
Shuuichi felt as though the only way to escape this embarrassment was to fake his own death right then and there. Unfortunately for him, he would have to step in if he didn’t want the situation to escalate further.   
  
“K-Kaede, these, uh, are my roommates.”   
  
“Wait, really?”   
  
“Yea, really. I know it must be overwhelming to meet such an amazing person out of the blue, but I won’t bite!”   
  
“Oh really? Then let me know when the amazing people get here.”   
  
“Hey!”   
  
Shuuichi and Amami both snickered at that, and Shuuichi decided to step in again before anything bad could happen.   
  
“Kaede, these are Ouma Kokichi and Amami Rantarou. Guys, this is my best friend, Akamatsu Kaede.”   
  
Shuuichi watched as Kaede gave them a look much too intense for her usual cheerful demeanor, but he figured it was because they had just started off on the wrong foot. At the very least, he hoped she wouldn’t hold this against them.   
  
“It’s nice to meet you Amami-kun, Ouma-kun.”   
  
“Likewise, Akamatsu-san. If you can, try to keep Saihara-kun in one piece. As roommates, we can only do so much to make sure he stays out of trouble.”   
  
“Oh, I’m sure of that. But don’t worry, I'm his best friend! I’m pretty sure I can protect him better than most people.”   
  
Shuuichi noticed Ouma glare at Kaede as she said that, but it might've been his imagination. Ouma didn’t seem like the type to just dislike people for no reason, and Shuuichi hadn’t ever met a single person who had disliked Kaede. Before he could work out the reason for Ouma's glare, Kaede was standing up and grabbing her food.   
  
“It was nice to meet you two, but Shuuichi and I have to go. Come on Shuuichi!”   
  
“O-oh, okay! I'll see you guys later.”   
  
Shuuichi waited for Amami and Ouma to wave before he turned to hurry after Kaede. She led him to her car and got into the driver's seat. Shuuichi followed suit, climbing into the passenger side. He watched as Kaede sighed loudly, resting her head on the wheel for a moment before picking her head back up to look at him.   
  
“Your roommates seem... eccentric. How exactly do you get along with them?”   
  
Shuuichi didn’t have an answer for that. Something between the three of them had just automatically clicked, as if they’d known each other long before then. But that didn’t make sense, he’d remember meeting such strange people if he had known them before their first meeting.   
  
“... Sherlock?”   
  
Shuuichi watched Kaede breath out a long sigh again as she fiddled with the radio. When the music started playing, Kaede leaned back with a small smile and her eyes closed. He recognized it as one of the piano medleys she had been composing and practicing.   
  
“Hey, Shuuichi? Promise me you'll be careful around those two, okay?”   
  
Shuuichi didn’t hear a response come from his own mouth. He could only feel himself slowly falling asleep to the music and the sound of Kaede's voice. He dreamed of sitting next to Kaede and watching the moon burn.   
  
When Shuuichi woke up, he was in his room. He had no idea how he got here, he knew Kaede wasn’t strong enough to carry him.   
  
“-And you’re absolutely sure?”   
  
“I’m telling you, I felt it when I shook her hand. Plus, we found him locked up alone in her car. If she isn’t, there’s no other way to explain it.”   
  
“Then we have to keep her away from him. How long until he comes to?”   
  
“If he hasn’t already then he will soon.”   
  
“Are you guys talking about me?”   
  
Shuuichi stepped out of his room and into the living room, where he saw a green demon sitting down and a purple and white angel slowly pacing the room. If he had been holding something he definitely would’ve dropped it in shock. Time seemed to be frozen as Shuuichi gaped at the supernatural beings.   
  
“W-what... what the hell?!”   
  
“We can explain, Saihara-kun.”   
  
Part of Shuuichi wanted to run away screaming while the another part wanted to stay and hear the whole story. Shuuichi only took a few steps backwards before being rooted to the ground once more.   
  
“Amami-kun? Ouma-kun?”   
  
“Yep! We really should’ve been more careful Rantarou, now he's found us out!”   
  
Shuuichi felt as though the whole world as he knew it would suddenly disappear.   



	19. Pompeii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But if you close your eyes  
> Does it almost feel like  
> Nothing's changed at all  
> And if you close your eyes  
> Does it almost feel like  
> You've been here before
> 
> Bastille

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am nearly caught up with my backlog because I've been so swamped by all the end of the year projects I've been too tired to make any significant progress with these chapters. After next week I might have to change the update schedul to once a week instead of twice. I'll do my best to try and keep it as is though, and once I do have enough of a backlog again it'll go back to normal. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Shuuichi had a million questions floating through his mind.   
  
“Okay, so first things first, please don’t run away this time.”   
  
“This time?”   
  
“And that’s where we're gonna start.”   
  
Shuuichi didn’t understand anything, and he had always known that he didn’t understand much for someone who was supposed to be a detective. But at this moment, with his two roommates that were very much not human and very much acting like they knew him for a long time now, he understood less than ever.   
  
“Okay, so, first things first. Hi! I’m Ouma Kokichi, your resident guardian angel! It’s super nice to meet you.”   
  
“He already knows us for the most part, you don’t need to re-introduce yourself.”   
  
“Wait, so you’re both... angels? That doesn’t really make sense though.”   
  
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m actually a demon. I thought that’d be obvious from the horns and tail, and I can’t say I see why you’d make that mistake.”   
  
“Okay, that makes more sense- wait, actually, no it doesn’t! How do you even exist? And why are you here?”   
  
Shuuichi tried his best to process the new information. An angel and a demon, both here living in the same dorm room as him, attending college and just existing. He was never a religious person, his uncle raised him to respect all people of different backgrounds and religions but never imprinted religious beliefs on him. The mere existence of the two beings standing before him made Shuuichi wish that maybe he had been a bit more devout in his youth.   
  
“Well, you see, when two angels or two demons love each other-“   
  
“We just exist, okay? That much is obvious. Can we move on to what happened to you?”   
  
“What happened to me?”   
  
Shuuichi instantly became more curious. Maybe the feelings of déjà vu could be justified by whatever they would explain to him next. Maybe Shuuichi didn’t lead as boring and lack luster a life as he remembered. Maybe he-   
  
“We basically ended up getting you killed and then made a deal with the devil to bring you back to life at the cost of your memories.”   
  
“H-huh?!”   
  
“Wait! It isn’t as bad as it sounds-“   
  
“No, it’s definitely as bad as it sounds! You fell in love with us, saw us almost kiss, and then ran away to a place you weren’t supposed to. We found you half dead, took you to the devil, and brought you back to life. Of course, it makes sense that you had to have your memories taken away to make sure you wouldn’t go and try it again.”   
  
Shuuichi was at a loss for words. So he had spent enough time with Amami and Ouma that he had fallen in love with both of them, only to go and apparently get himself killed at the simple notion of them liking each other instead of him. Shuuichi found himself blurting out the first thing that came to his mind.   
  
“That sounds really stupid and over dramatic.”   
  
Ouma and Amami both stared at him with blank faces for a solid minute. It was Amami who broke the sudden awkward silence as he chuckled.   
  
“Those are your words, not ours.”   
  
“I’m glad Saihara-chan said it first, if we had said it we might've ended up hurting your feelings.”   
  
Shuuichi laughed. It was probably better that his memories were erased, he didn’t want to imagine how embarrassed he would be if he could remember these actions as his own. The second hand embarrassment was enough for him. But there were still a few things that didn’t quite add up.   
  
“Wait... if my memories were erased, then why don’t I have a gap in my memory between high school and now? I mean, assuming that any memories I had with you two were erased, and also that I’ve known you both since the first semester.”   
  
“Well, Enoshima-san has always been good at messing with people's memories. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could just rewrite any number of fake memories easily.”   
  
“What exactly do you remember anyway? Oh, but if it’s boring don’t bother telling us.”   
  
Shuuichi decided to write that off as a lie as he searched his brain for any specific memories that fit the time frame that was replaced. He closed his eyes, trying to remember any details of his life at his previous college. The only things he could remember were generic, no name faces... and...   
  
“I remember always having Kaede by my side.”   
  
Shuuichi watched as Ouma and Amami shared an anxious glance, and from that alone Shuuichi began putting the pieces together for himself. After all, what kind of detective would he be if he needed everything spelled out for him?   
  
“That's all fake then... But Kaede played right along with my fake memories, even though we probably hadn’t met at any point since you guys didn’t know her until today. So that means that... either her memories were replaced as well... or...”   
  
“Or she was in on Enoshima-san's plan to replace your memories.”   
  
Shuuichi felt as though his entire world was crashing down around him. He had so many memories of Kaede, of her always being there for him, of her believing in him. He wanted to believe in her too, he thought he did! For all of that to be fake... Clouds of doubt darkened Shuuichi's mind. Kaede had lied to him. It was unbelievable to him, she didn’t seem like a bad person. But then again, he had apparently never knew her to begin with.   
  
“Breathe.”   
  
Shuuichi didn’t realize he was hyperventilating until Ouma was holding his hand and staring directly at him with worried eyes. Shuuichi took a deep breath, closing his eyes and trying to push away as many thoughts as he could.   
  
“We'll get to the bottom of this, Saihara-kun. I think for now you should get some more rest.”   
  
Shuuichi took a few more deep, shaky breaths before nodding and getting up. He started heading towards his room, but one thought refused to go away, nagging at him. He turned around, immediately catching the others' attention.   
  
“You were talking about her before I woke up. What is she?”   
  
Ouma looked uneasy and Amami simply sighed, that alone was enough to tell Shuuichi that it wasn’t anything to be optimistic about.   
  
“Akamatsu Kaede is a siren.”   



	20. BMW

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But I’m inked cause I’m rebelling you  
> You make assumptions so I’ll make some too  
> You replaced me with them BMWs  
> Replaced me with a BMW
> 
> Charlee Remitz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this week I will hopefully have more time and energy to write because ap testing will be over! To any of you guys who might be taking ap us or ap computer science, I wish you all luck tomorrow, and I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter!

Kokichi wished he wasn’t so observant.   
  
A week had passed since he and Rantarou had told Saihara the truth, and a week of Kokichi pre-occupying Saihara as an excuse for Akamatsu to not get near him while Rantarou tried to figure out more about her. For the first few days, the plan Kokichi had came up with was working pretty well.   
  
But then Rantarou started acting strange.   
  
At first it was little things, like him staying out later, sleeping in his own bed rather than Kokichi's as he usually would, and being almost completely oblivious to his surroundings. All of that wasn’t enough to warrant suspicion, so Kokichi chalked it up to Rantarou being stressed because of Akamatsu.   
  
Then he disappeared for three days straight.   
  
“Ouma-kun, you've been pacing like that for three hours already. I’m sure Amami-kun is fine, he can take care of himself.”   
  
“He’s been gone for  _ three days _ Saihara-chan. Do you really expect me to just-“   
  
The door slammed open at that very moment. Kokichi just barely stopped himself from lunging at Rantarou as he walked in. Kokichi needed answers, and he needed them now.

 

“Where have you been?! Do you have any idea how much you made Saihara-chan worry?”

 

“I wasn’t the one pacing around the room for three hours straight imagining the worst.”

 

Rantarou chuckled, and the next words out of his mouth made Kokichi’s heart stop.

 

“It’s okay Ouma-kun, I was wrong about Kaede. She isn’t a siren. She isn’t bad at all!”

 

Saihara gave him a look that screamed confusion and suspicion, but Kokichi ignored it. He ignored everything as he stormed up to Rantarou and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him down to eye level.

 

“What the hell did she do to you?”

 

Kokichi was hoping that Rantarou- no- that Akamatsu was as afraid of the growl in his voice and of the stone cold glare of his eyes as he himself was at this moment. Kokichi was scared of the anger that was slowly consuming him, but he’d willingly let it if it meant he got Rantarou back.

 

“What are you talking about? I followed her around for a while and realized that she really was just a normal girl. And she’s actually really nice.”

 

The smacking sound that filled the room made Kokichi’s heart break ever so slightly.

 

“What did she do to you?!”

 

Saihara stood up and pulled him back, and that was when Kokichi realized he had started crying. He felt absolutely helpless as he watched Saihara walk up to Rantarou and look him in the eye.

 

“Did she play music for you?”

 

“Uh, yea. Right before I stopped following her, why?”

 

Saihara twirled around to grab a jacket and his hat with a determination that Kokichi had never seen on him.

 

“We have to go find her, make sure you bring Amami-kun too.”

 

Kokichi didn’t hesitate to follow after Saihara, grabbing his own jacket as well as Rantarou, who stumbled clumsily behind him. He would never forgive Akamatsu for doing something to  _ his _ Rantarou.

 

Kokichi was going to save Rantarou.

 

They made it outside the dorm when Saihara pulled out his phone, dialing a number and then putting it up to his ear. Kokichi looked confused for a moment, until he heard a feminine voice greeting Saihara.

 

“H-hey, Kaede… I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately, let’s hang out now to make up for it. Where are you?”

 

Kokichi saw Saihara wince as he struggled to get her first name past his lips, and Kokichi was suddenly very aware of how much effort it took other people to lie about anything.

 

“Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

 

Saihara hung up and put his phone away. His eyes were still filled with determination as he turned back to Kokichi.

 

“She’s at the golf course.”

 

Kokichi’s rage returned tenfold. How  _ dare _ she do this to Rantarou and then have the nerve to act as though she was innocent, enjoying herself with something as leisurely as golf?!

 

“Promise you won’t hold me back Saihara-chan.”

 

He may be an angel, but Kokichi was about to give this bitch hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel a bit guilty because I feel as though I'm making Kaede more and more out of character, but I honestly have no idea how to properly write her ;-;


	21. Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I want a bad girl baby, bad  
> And I want a love that's crazy, yeah  
> I want a bad girl, baby, bad  
> I want a love that's crazy, yeah  
> I wanna fight, I wanna rock and roll and party all night
> 
> The Cab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started binge watching BNHA over the weekend and I'm only on season 2 but ended up getting spoilers by looking through the tags on tumblr. But since I don't want to spoil anyone else, all I'm gonna say about BNHA is that the frog girl is the best and she deserves the world. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Kaede Akamatsu was the sweetest soul anyone would ever have the pleasure of knowing.

 

She lived a normal life growing up with her childhood friend, Shuuichi Saihara. They were best friends who did everything together. They helped each other, laughed with each other, and encouraged each other. It only made sense that they’d apply to the same colleges together, attending a run of the mill community college while waiting to be accepted into Hope’s Peak University, the most prestigious university anyone could dream of.

 

She had been accepted for her musical prowess. She was given the title of Ultimate Pianist. She loved the school that she had dreamed of her whole life, and she loved the friends she had made while she was here.

 

“Kaede-chan, if you’re not gonna take your turn, you could at least tell us who your super duper mystery men are!”

 

“If you don’t there’s no way I can get her to leave when they get here, Akamatsu-san.”

 

Speaking of friends, she was currently playing golf with her roommates and two of the first friends she made when she first came to the University. Maizono Sayaka and Mioda Ibuki were both interesting people who would probably be overwhelming to anyone else. Kaede did everything she could to try to keep up with them from day to day.

 

“Okay, you two really wanna know?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“There are three of them, but I’m pretty sure one of them absolutely hate my guts. Their names are-“

 

“Ouma-kun! Please slow down!”

 

“Not until this bitch gives back Rantarou!”

 

Kaede smiled. Shuuichi and her two new friends were right on time. Golf was more fun when there were lots of people playing together after all.

 

“Ooh, look at these three! If I wrote a song about them, it’d be a rock song titled ‘Life or Death or Love Triangle Situation’! Are these your harem Kaede-chan?”

 

Kaede ignored Mioda, instead walking over to give her best friend a hug. When Shuuichi didn’t return the hug, she wasn’t as surprised as she should’ve been. He had been acting pretty weird lately.

 

“Akama-... Kaede… Do you mind if we ask you so-”

 

“What the fuck did you do with my boyfriend?!”

 

Kaede heard Mioda and Maizono snicker behind her. Kaede simply sighed. She didn’t want any trouble, especially not with her new friends. They seemed like nice enough people, and when she met them the first time she really thought they could get along.

 

The purple haired one, Ouma, looked about ready to murder her a hundred times over, and Kaede realized she’d have to convince him to be civil with her.

 

Shuuichi sighed, letting go of Amami and stepping between Kaede and Ouma. Kaede was extremely grateful, she really didn’t want any fights breaking out, especially not with her roommates watching so intently.

 

“Akamatsu-san, we know what you are. And we know what you’ve done. Please return Amami-kun back to normal.”

 

Kaede tilted her head at her best friend. Why had he suddenly gone back to referring to her by her last name? And what did he mean by what he said? Maizono moved to stand next to Kaede, looking Shuuichi up and down.

 

“Are you trying to accuse Akamatsu-san of something, because I can tell you right now she would never hurt a fly!”

 

Kaede could tell that Shuuichi was intimidated, shrinking into himself ever so slightly. This wasn’t at all how she wanted this introduction to go. She just wanted her friends to get along and play golf together!

 

“Oh cut the act you slimy bitch. We know she’s a siren, and I bet you two are too. So you have two options, either return Rantarou back to normal, or me and Saihara-chan will take you on ourselves.”

 

“W-what?! Ouma-kun, I never agreed to anything like that!”

 

Kaede had never been more confused in her life.

 

At least, that’s how she had to act in this moment.

 

In reality, Kaede knew all too well what was going on. But she couldn’t let Shuuichi know that. She had to play the part of innocent bystander, or else a friend with a few forgotten memories would be the least of anyone’s problems.

 

“Hey hey! No need to get your foot twisted in your underwear! We have no clue what you’re talking about, so either grab a golf club or leave!”

 

Kaede knew that Shuuichi would be the one to put an end to this. He was always too kind for his own good. That’s what put him on borrowed time right now, and it was Kaede who had to set it right. She couldn’t let Shuuichi’s kindness get him killed a second time.

 

“I’m really sorry about this…”

 

Kaede apparently had little to worry about.

 

“Mioda-san!”

 

“Whoa Saihara-chan! I didn’t think you actually had the guts to hit anyone, especially not a girl!”

 

Kaede realized that saving Shuuichi Saihara was going to be much more difficult than she had originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, the first chapter was gonna be named after a different song by the cab, angel with a shot gun. But when I was trying to find a song for the second chapter and could only come up with demons, I figured I should give both chapters equally simple titles since they were uploaded together. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have used bad for this chapter.


	22. Nameless World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You don't have to turn a blind eye  
> If you really look I'm a regular guy  
> I'm not selling misery  
> Maybe one day I'll feel home again
> 
> Skip the Use

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is going up a bit later than usual, my chorus class performed at Port Authority yesterday and it was exhausting. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Shuuichi let his emotions guide his actions for the first time he could remember.

 

“Yeah! Saihara-chan, smash!”

 

Shuuichi looked from his fist to the girl who was unconscious on the ground. When did he get so strong? He looked back up, only to come face to face with Akamatsu. She glared at him, but there was no real sign of malice in her expression.

 

“Shuuichi, I thought you were better than this. You’re supposed to be a detective, how are you just gonna jump to conclusions without having all the facts first?!”

 

Shuuichi was intimidated. A part of him clung desperately to the idea that Kaede was his best friend who would always protect him and be there for him in a world that was nothing but cruel.

 

Shuuichi knew the truth about Akamatsu, and that drive to get her to admit it squashed out the small part of him that still believed she was his friend.

 

“You… you don’t know anything about me. Or at least, you shouldn’t know anything about me.”

 

“W-what?”

 

Shuuichi sighed. He really didn't want to do this to his best friend, or the stranger that stood in front of him. But with two people that he knows and apparently once loved at risk, he had no choice if things weren't resolved soon enough.

 

“I’ve already been here for half a year, Ouma-kun and Amami-kun told me. You lied to me, and even now you're still trying to lie to me. If you were really my friend, you'd tell me the truth, and you wouldn't be hurting my friends.”

 

Akamatsu stared at him for a moment, although that moment seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Shuuichi refused to back down, he couldn't if he wanted Amami to go back to normal.

 

“Y-you’d really believe two people you’ve just met over me, Shuuichi?”

 

Shuuichi flinched. He knew that she was lying, but the pain and betrayal in her voice sounded so real. The way her eyes filled with tears, the way she trembled, everything about her in that moment just screamed heartbreak and it was all so  _ real _ .

 

“I’m trying to protect you, Shuuichi! I’ve been there for you, I’ve always been by your side through thick and thin! What have they done for you?! They dragged you out here and made you knock out my roommate! They told you nothing but li-”

 

“What the hell is going on here?”

 

Shuuichi was glad to be saved from the wrath of Akamatsu’s lies, but when he turned to look at his savior, all he saw was a purple haired man and a menacing looking girl dressed in red following closely behind him.

 

“Hey bro, what's with all the yelling? Don't tell me you've been skipping training lately because you got a girlfriend. I'm happy for you of course, but it's still important that you keep your body and mind in top form!”

 

“Um…”

 

Shuuichi had no idea how to respond. This was probably someone he had met here but had forgotten when his memories were wiped. Quick thinking made Shuuichi realize that this was his chance to expose all of Akamatsu’s lies.

 

“Uh, s-sorry… bro. I didn't mean to skip training. How about I come training with you next time and we bring Akamatsu-san along? Have you two met before?”

 

“Nope, never seen her around before! You must be new, so let me introduce myself. I'm Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! And this is my sidekick, Maki Roll!”

 

“Do you wanna die?”

 

Shuuichi couldn't even begin to imagine how he had become friends with these people who had such radically different personalities from him, not to mention how the two of them were friends at all. But regardless, what this Momota guy said was all the evidence he needed.

 

“That was a pretty bad lie, Saihara-chan. But I guess it got the job done, so good job! Look at her, she's all red because she got caught!”

 

Shuuichi had almost forgotten that Ouma and Amami had been standing behind him the entire time. They had been so quiet. But when he turned to look at Akamatsu, he saw that she really was red, and she was glaring daggers right at him.

 

“Fine, you want your precious Amami-kun back so bad?!”

 

She fished out a necklace from a pocket in her skirt, practically throwing it at Shuuichi’s face as she sighed in frustration. He managed to catch it, seeing that it was some type of pendant that seemed to be glowing a bright green. Shuuichi looked up, wanting to thank Akamatsu, only to see her about to walk away.

 

“W-wait! Akamatsu-san!”

 

Akamatsu stopped, but she didn't turn around to look at him.

 

“T-thank you, Akamatsu-san.”

 

That's when Akamatsu turned around, anger spelled out clearly on her face.

 

“You're still in danger Shuuichi. The whole world is out to get you, so don't thank me. I can't save you now.”

 

With that, Akamatsu walked away. Shuuichi watched her go for a moment, and then remembered the pendant he was holding in his hands. He turned around to Ouma and Amami, having no idea what to do with the pendant.

 

“What the hell do we do with this? How is this supposed to bring Rantarou back?”

 

“Maybe we just… put it on him?”

 

Shuuichi was unsure, but figured that it wouldn't hurt to try it. He and Ouma both turned to Amami who seemed to be spacing out. Shuuichi gave one last confused and hopeful glance to Ouma before putting the necklace around Amani's neck. The green glow of the pendant slowly faded until it had turned to metallic silver. Shuuichi watched as Rantarou slowly blinked, then seemed to finally come to his senses.

 

“Kokichi? Saihara-kun? What's going on?”

 

Ouma lunged at Amami, wrapping him in a tight hug. Shuuichi chuckled to himself before joining in on the group hug. He may not remember much about how Amami would normally act, but knowing that he was back to normal and seeing Ouma so happy about it simply felt right to Shuuichi.

 

“Hey, so uh… what exactly is going on here?”

 

All three men turned around to find that the other two who had appeared were still there, both looking extremely confused.

 

“It’s a long story, but first, who are you two?”

 

“W-what kind of question is that bro? You know me, I'm Kaito Momota, luminary of the stars!”

 

Shuuichi realized that there were probably a lot of things he needed to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the story is caught up with my backlog, so the update schedule has to change unfortunately. New chapters will go up whenever a chapter is finished and beta'd, which until I get into a steady writing schedule, the update schedule is gonna be inconsistent. I'll still try to get at least one chapter out each week though, so don't worry :3


	23. Vagabond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deciding to live, free at last  
> Fight through the past, now it's finally time  
> We have the choice  
> You have the voice that will live through our sons  
> And move generations to come
> 
> Puppet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a reminder, updates won't be as frequent anymore because I've caught up with my backlog. I'm still gonna try and update every week but I can't make any promises. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Kokichi and Rantarou spent the next week helping Saihara catch up on everything he had forgotten.

 

It was no simple task, seeing as Saihara had somehow managed to befriend nearly everyone on the campus, but it was definitely refreshing after the previous week.

 

Everyone had been surprised to find out that Saihara had lost all his memories of the past six months, but after learning what the circumstances were, they were a lot more cooperative than Kokichi had expected, even going as far as to reveal their true nature to Saihara.

 

It was definitely worth the shocked expression on Saihara’s face to find that there were only two other humans on the campus.

 

“I can't believe I'm a detective and I never noticed that almost all of my friends weren't human.”

 

“Well, to be fair, they all hid it a lot better than we did. Although, in our defense, they don't live with you.”

 

Kokichi plopped himself down on the couch, making himself comfy against Saihara as he and Rantarou sat down.

 

“That doesn't matter! Do you actually remember anything Saihara-chan, or is it just like you're meeting all of them for the first time?”

 

Kokichi could feel Saihara fidget against him, not having to look up to see that the question had made him uncomfortable. He felt a small pang of guilt, but it was an important question that was better addressed sooner rather than later, so Kokichi couldn't take it back.

 

“W-well… they all seem familiar, kinda like deja vu, but…”

 

“You don't actually remember them.”

 

“Sorry, I know that I probably should by now, but I just can't.”

 

Kokichi squeezed Saihara’s arm reassuringly, looking up at him with a smile.

 

“It's okay Saihara-chan, we don't care if you never remember us, or even if you forget about us over and over again!”

 

Kokichi’s smile turned into a smirk as Saihara shifted ever so slightly away from him and closer to Rantarou with a sigh. Kokichi got up to grab blankets, deciding for all three of them that they'd have one big sleep over on the couch.

 

“At least I remember enough to know that's a lie.”

 

Kokichi nearly tripped on his way to the closet, almost missing Rantarou’s silent snicker. He really had to up his game if even someone who could barely remember him had him all figured out.

 

Kokichi made sure to smack Rantarou with the blanket before tossing it over both his and Saihara’s heads. He went back to claim his spot beside Saihara, snuggling up against him.

 

“Ran-chan, I did the heavy lifting so now you gotta go do everything else!”

 

“I wouldn't call blanket tossing heavy lifting, but considering your size it probably is for you.”

 

Saihara snorted beside him as Rantarou turned off the living room light and stumbled his way to the kitchen to make popcorn for them. Kokichi didn't enjoy them making jokes at his expense, but he couldn't help but laugh along with his two most beloved.

 

That reminds him…

 

“Hey Saihara-chan?”

 

Saihara hummed in response, and Kokichi took that as his cue to ask his question.

 

“Do you think you could ever grow to love the both of us again? I'm sure Ran-chan would love to have a threesome with the both of us!”

 

Kokichi took pride in the way Saihara sputtered, and he wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but he thought he heard Rantarou having a similar reaction from in the kitchen.

 

“T-that’s a lie, right?”

 

“Nope! I'm being totally serious!”

 

“You're making him upset Kokichi.”

 

“You say that like you don't get off on it.”

 

Saihara was beet red when Kokichi turned to face him again. He was enjoying making Saihara flustered, but he knew he had to be honest. For both his own sake and Rantarou’s.

 

“... I am being serious though. You ran away before because you thought that neither of us loved you, so we never got the chance to tell you that we both love you a whole lot. And that’s not a lie. We did before you lost your memory, and we still do. Isn't that right Ran-chan?”

 

The room was silent as both he and Saihara awaited Rantarou’s response from the kitchen. After a few beats of silence, he slowly made his way out of the kitchen. Kokichi didn't miss the slight tint of red on his face, as if he had taken a moment to force himself to stop blushing.

 

“He’s telling the truth… Both of us really like you, Saihara-kun. And, at least as far as we could tell, you really liked us too. If you're willing to put up with us now, Kokichi and I would be over the moon.”

 

Kokichi watched as Saihara looked between Rantarou and himself, an array of emotions flickering on his face with the most prominent one being confliction. The silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity before sadness settled on Saihara’s face.

 

“It makes me happy to know that you guys loved me before, but that was before. In my heart, I've known you two for half a year, but my head just can't agree with that right now. Maybe the Shuuichi from before all of this would've said yes, but I just don't know either of you well enough to give you an honest answer. I'm sorry.”

 

Kokichi wanted to throw a fit. Saihara had been head over heels for the both of them before, to the point where he would've given up everything to be with them. It wasn't fair, the three of them could've been happy together but Saihara has to go and ruin that, and now he won't even accept their advances. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, it wasn't-

 

“It's okay Saihara-kun. We understand.”

 

The near scorching hand squeezed Kokichi’s shoulder as he said the lie, and Kokichi knew it was a lie as clear as the hurt and confusion Rantarou tried to hide.

 

“Ran-chan is right. It's totally fine because we don’t even really like this new you anyway. That was all a lie!”

 

Honest hour was over. Kokichi was certain that Rantarou would scold him later for this, but he needed an out before his heart could break even more.

 

“Ouma-kun, wha-”

 

“Did you really think we would love you, after you ran away from us and nearly got yourself killed just because you couldn't handle seeing us together? Who would ever love someone as wimpy as you? Even now, you're still such a wimp, you can't even stand up to some annoying girl on your own. You're so pathetic Saihara-chan.”

 

Kokichi stood up, trying to make himself look as menacing as possible. His mind was yelling at him to speed up his escape while his heart screamed to apologize and make things right.

 

Kokichi refused to listen to his heart right now.

 

He ran, ran out the door, ran out of the building, ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Kokichi wouldn't be as reckless as Saihara had been, that much was obvious, but he needed to put as much distance as he could between himself and Saihara. At least until he could get a handle on his emotions again.

 

He ended up running to the girls dorms, running up the few flight of stairs to the room he knew that Yumeno, Chabashira, and Yonaga shared. He knew that he could convince them to let him crash there for a few days, maybe even get a potion out of Yumeno to make him feel not so miserable right now.

 

Kokichi’s phone rang as he was about to knock on the door. One look at the avocado picture accompanying the caller ID and he rejected the call, making sure to set his phone to do not disturb.

 

Kokichi didn't want to be found. Not right now.


	24. Heat of the Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was the heat of the moment  
> Telling me what your heart meant  
> The heat of the moment shone in your eyes
> 
> Asia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Sorry I've been dead for a while. Things have been not good in my life but I'm finally okay enough to continue this. I hope you all enjoy this chapter :3

Rantarou tried his best to stay calm.

 

“What if he goes and does something reckless? What if he does what I did that made me lose my memory? What if he ends up dead? What if Akamatsu-san does-”

 

Rantarou slapped a hand over Saihara’s mouth, effectively silencing him. He needed to concentrate on Kokichi if they wanted any chance of finding him, and Saihara’s swirling storm of negativity wasn't helping him to do that.

 

Saihara seemed to realize this as he removed Rantarou’s hand from his mouth, staying silent and closing his eyes to try and think of some way he could help.

 

“Try calling him?”

 

“Do you really think that's going to work when he's clearly trying to avoid us?”

 

“Just try.”

 

Rantarou sighed as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. He barely noticed the two missed calls from Shinguuji and five messages from Yonaga as he hurried to call Kokichi. He put the phone to his ear, knowing that he wouldn't answer, but still clinging to the small hope that he would.

 

The phone rang once.

 

“Nishishi, I'm flattered you tried to call me, but not really. Supreme leaders of evil are just sooo busy, so leave me alone until I call you back!”

 

Rantarou turned to Saihara, whose face fell as he saw the disappointment Rantarou was sure he had on his face. He knew it wouldn't work, and it was getting harder to focus on where Kokichi might be with his own heart slowly breaking.

 

“This is all my fault… I'm sorry Amami-kun.”

 

“Hey now, it's not entirely your fault. Yea it hurt when you rejected us, but that doesn't mean you're to blame for all of this.”

 

Saihara shook his head, avoiding making eye contact with Rantarou. Rantarou put his phone down. As much as he wanted to find Kokichi, it could be put off. He had to help the one person he still could in this moment. Rantarou sat down next to Saihara, putting a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Look, we were idiots for not confessing to you before it could get to this point. Kokichi and I are the reason we’re all in this mess, so these are the consequences we gotta face now. The fact that you're even still willing to live with us is more than I could ever ask for, and the same goes for Kokichi even if he's bad at showing that.”

 

Saihara was tense under Rantarou’s hand, and Rantarou just wished he was better at being comforting. He knew it wasn't exactly a demon’s job to be comforting, but it wasn't like he had to be a demon all the time.

 

“Thank you Amami-kun, but I still have to make up for all of this somehow, and it starts with making sure Ouma-kun is safe.”

 

Saihara stood up, and at that moment Rantarou realized he didn't feel any negative emotions coming off of him. He didn't feel any negative emotions at all, which was surprising since he knew Kokichi could hide his feelings, but not completely get rid of them. In fact, there was only one person he knew who could do that.

 

“Amami-kun? Are you okay?”

 

Rantarou grabbed his phone as the realization hit him, and the several messages he had from Yonaga only confirmed it.

 

“He's using magic.”

 

Saihara stared at him in utter confusion, and if it wasn't for the gravity of his revelation, his heart would be lurching at how cute he looked.

 

“Does… that mean you know where he is?”

 

“Yumeno-san.”

 

Rantarou got up, grabbing Saihara’s hand as he started heading for the door. He knew that Yumeno was a good person, and that she was at least on decent terms with Kokichi ever since the last prank he played on her. That didn't change the fact that she had no real control over her magic. Rantarou couldn't believe Kokichi would be dumb enough to go to her. Why did Kokichi have to be so stupid?!

 

Rantarou stopped dead in his tracks.

 

Stupid?

 

Rantarou knew Kokichi was anything but stupid. Maybe a bit over dramatic and impulsive, but definitely not stupid. He'd know better than to go to Yumeno to try and get rid of his emotions if he wanted to live. So that must mean that…

 

“We gotta hurry.”

 

“Ama-”

 

Saihara couldn't finish his sentence as Rantarou started running as fast as he could, dragging Saihara along behind him. He had half a mind to keep him from flying, but he knew he had to hurry.

  
Kokichi’s life  _ was _ on the line after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically shit hit the fan towards the end of the school year with loads of finals stress, family issues, and starting work at a summer camp, along with just burning myself out.  
> I don't have anything past this chapter yet because of all that, but I've been coming up with more ideas for this story the whole time. I'm definitely going to continue this until the end, so I hope you all look forward to the next chapter, and I want to thank everyone of you for being so patient and supportive. I appreciate every comment and every kudos. I'll see you all in the next chapter!


	25. Dying in LA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And nobody knows you now  
> When you're dying in LA  
> And nobody owes you now  
> When you're dying in LA
> 
> Panic! at the Disco

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this chapter done for a week now but my beta is slowly dying from stress and I don't have the time to edit it myself. Being a senior sucks. Also I finally repeated an artist for the titles because the new p!atd album is just??? So good??? Anyway I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Kokichi wanted nothing more than to feel empty inside.

 

He was already halfway there when Saihara broke his heart, he just needed to empty himself the rest of the way. He only knew one person who could help him with that, and at this point he decided he didn't care what consequences that would bring.

 

“Kami-sama does not approve of your coping methods. You should definitely consider repenting right away and facing your problems, because Kami-sama says so!”

 

“Did Kami-sama also say that I don't give a fuck? Because if not then I'm not sure you should believe in him as much as you do.”

 

“Ouma-kun, do you want my help or not?”

 

Kokichi groaned to himself. He just wanted a quick way out, not to be tortured by being forced to get along with people. He’d had enough of forcing himself to play nice.

 

“Fine, just hurry up and get this over with.”

 

“But if I go any faster than this, you might die y’know. My magic is pretty deadly, because I'm such a powerful mage.”

 

Yumeno stifled a yawn as Kokichi rolled his eyes. There was only so much he would put up with today, and he was already at his limits with everything else that had happened. He avoided looking at the scattered phone parts that were on the floor by the far wall. He didn't want to think  about Rantarou or Saihara right now.

 

“I know. That's kinda what I'm hoping for if you couldn't tell.”

 

“What?!”

 

Kokichi froze up for a moment, as if his blood had been turned to solid ice. Yumeno noticed and quickly calmed herself down, settling instead for a stern glare at Kokichi.

 

“You can't just let me kill you- not that I would, I wouldn't try to kill you, but the fact that you want me to is just so-...”

 

“Messed up? Crazy? Insane?”

 

“Sad.”

 

Kokichi looked up as Chabashira spoke for the first time since he had arrived. It caught him off guard, but he recovered quickly enough. Even so, the way Chabashira looked at him unsettled him.

 

“Ouma-san may be a degenerate male, but even Tenko knows he has enough sense to know that this isn't good for him, or anybody he cares about.”

 

“Bold of you to assume there are people who care about me.”

 

Chabashira fixed him with a cold glare, and Kokichi had to fight every instinct not to squirm away from the intensity of it. She sighed and looked away, and Kokichi could tell that Yumeno had shifted her focus from the way his throat closed up, making it hard to breath.

 

“She said people _you_ care about, you dummy head! Plus, they clearly care about you if they'd make you upset enough to come here!”

 

“Plus, Kami-sama says the people who care most about you are on their way right now. All because Kami-sama told Angie to warn them about what you were trying to do!”

 

Kokichi shot up from the chair, going into a panic as he bumped into Yumeno and his legs gave out completely from under him, causing him to fall to the ground.

 

“You  _ what _ ?!”

 

The door slammed open, and Kokichi’s entire world started to move in slow motion. Rantarou and Saihara running up to him, Yumeno desperately trying to undo whatever it was she had done to his legs, Saihara picking him up, Saihara kissing him.

 

Saihara kissing him…

 

Saihara was kissing him?

 

And then everything was suddenly going too fast.

 

He regained feeling in his legs just as he was set back down on the floor. He looked up at Saihara, and he could see the hopeful look in his eyes. But Kokichi knew when someone was lying. He knew Saihara was lying.

 

Kokichi could feel Rantarou’s hand on his shoulder, and he turned around to look at him. He looked relieved. His eyes were sparkling with relief and nothing else. But that was a lie too. Kokichi could see it in his face how much watching that kiss had hurt him, how jealous he was.

 

Kokichi looked around, everything moving too fast as he realized he should've never trusted anyone in this room. He couldn't trust anyone. Not Yumeno, or Yonaga, or Chabashira, not even his beloved Rantarou. Not even Shuuichi-.

 

He needed to get out.

 

“Kokichi, we were so worried about you! Amami-kun saw the texts from Yonaga and we came as soon as we could. Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you?”

 

“...That’s a lie, isn't it?”

 

Shuuichi gave Kokichi a confused look and took a small step back. He was taken off guard. Good.

 

“Kokichi, wha-”

 

“You think it's fun? Lying to people and playing with their emotions? Getting them to fall at your feet like it's some kind of game? That's all this is to you, isn't it? That's all I am to you!”

 

“What? No, Kokichi, that's wrong!”

 

It was too much. Kokichi needed to get out right now, he refused to let Shuuichi take his heart now.

 

“Wrong? The only thing that's wrong here is you! I hate liars, and you're the most cold hearted liar of them all!”

 

“Kokichi…”

 

He revealed his wings, knocking over a stack of cards. He took one look at Saihara, and then at the upside down death tarot card. If that's all fate had for him, then he would gladly prove it right.

 

The last thing he heard was sobbing. But the only thing Kokichi cared about now were the black feathers that carried him away.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is @mobianflame if any of you ever wanna talk about anything whether it's this or anything else!


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